Your care during pregnancy Guide
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Antenatal visits
Your antenatal visits are a great way to learn how your baby is growing and what is happening to your body.
Due to COVID-19, prenatal visits might be different. Some doctors and midwives are using telehealth to see pregnant women. More information: COVID-19: information for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
During visits:
- your blood pressure will be checked
- the doctor or midwife will palpate (feel) your abdomen to see how much your baby has grown and listen to your baby’s heartbeat
- sometimes you may be weighed, have blood taken for tests and may have your urine checked.
Your due date
A normal pregnancy lasts 37–42 weeks.
The average length of pregnancy is 280 days or 40 weeks, from the first day of your last menstrual period.
The medical term for the due date is ‘estimated date of delivery (EDD)’.
Did you know that only about 4% of women give birth on their baby’s due date!
More information: Better Health Channel – Baby due date
When do I see my doctor or midwife?
At your first appointment with your doctor or midwife, you will plan on who to see and when. Your appointments will generally follow the recommended antenatal schedule, shown in your Pregnancy Health Record.
Due to COVID-19, prenatal visits might be different. Some doctors and midwives are using telehealth to see pregnant women.
Things to ask at your visits
Ask your doctor or midwife about:
- results of tests and investigations
- smoking, alcohol and drug use
- managing back or pelvic pain
- premature labour - what to look out for
- who and when to call when you’re in labour
- labour and birth - what to expect and making a birth plan
- planning for your hospital stay and going home with your baby.
For after your baby is born, ask your doctor or midwife about:
- tests for your baby – including the Healthy Hearing and Neonatal Screening Tests
- Vitamin K injection for newborns
- immunisations for yourself and your baby
- breastfeeding
- the importance of ‘rooming in’
- skin to skin contact
- where to get help with breastfeeding.
Who can I call to ask questions?
Your doctor, midwife, or obstetrician is usually the best place to start.
Other contacts:
- 13 HEALTH: 13 43 25 84
- Child Health Services, Queensland Health
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline: 1800 882 436
- True Relationships and Reproductive Health
- Australian Breastfeeding Association: 1800 686 268
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
More contacts are listed in your Pregnancy Health Record.
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Routine tests during pregnancy
Your doctor or midwife will discuss the routine blood tests offered in pregnancy.
These tests are performed to check for anything that may cause problems during pregnancy or after the birth.
Other tests may include a:
- pap smear
- breast check.
More information: Pregnancy Birth and Baby – Blood tests during pregnancy
What if I have a negative blood group?
There are four main blood groups. A, B, AB, and O.
A blood test in early pregnancy tells you which blood group you are, and whether you are Rh positive or Rh negative. Most women (85%) are Rh positive.
If you are Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive it can cause health problems which can be treated.
You will be offered an Anti-D injection at 28 weeks and at 34 weeks of your pregnancy.
You will also be offered an Anti-D injection if you have:
- any vaginal bleeding during your pregnancy
- a miscarriage
- an abortion
- if you have been involved in an accident involving major force to the abdomen
- a medical procedure such as chorionic villous sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis.
You will also require a blood test following birth and may be given an Anti-D injection within 72 hours of your baby's birth if your baby is Rh positive.
More information: Queensland Clinical Guidelines, Parent Information - RhD negative blood type in pregnancy
Testing for gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes only develops in pregnancy.
The condition occurs in two to three of every 100 pregnant women.
How do I find out if I have gestational diabetes?
Due to COVID-19, testing for gestational diabetes might be different to what is usually done.
If you have risk factors for gestational diabetes you will be offered a blood test in the first trimester.
All other women will be offered a blood test around 24–28 weeks of pregnancy. You may have to have a second test where you are given a special glucose drink and have blood samples taken over two hours.
Your doctor or midwife will discuss what is best for you.
For more information about gestational diabetes visit:
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Ultrasounds during pregnancy
Antenatal ultrasound scans are recommended at certain points during pregnancy to check the:
- number of babies you’re expecting—single, twins or more
- age of your pregnancy (in a dating scan)
- your baby's growth and physical development
- position of the placenta
- length of the cervix (neck of the womb).
We also use scans to monitor:
- the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby
- the health and function of the placenta, which supports your baby’s growth
- any complications, such as bleeding, fluid loss, high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes in pregnancy.
Learn more about routine tests and your care during pregnancy.
When you need an ultrasound
Your doctor or midwife will advise you when an ultrasound may be recommended. The following ultrasounds are common in pregnancy.
8–9 weeks dating scan
An early ultrasound at around 8 to 9 weeks is considered to be the best time to confirm the due date, ensure the pregnancy is in the uterus (womb) or for reassurance.
11–13 weeks first trimester screen
An ultrasound (also known as a nuchal translucency scan or early structural assessment) is recommended for all pregnant women. If combined with a blood test (free Beta-HCG and PAPP-A), it can be used to generate a risk for chromosomal abnormalities called a combined first trimester screen.
This is a screening test that will calculate your estimated risk of having a baby with Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. This ultrasound scan also helps to exclude any major structural abnormalities of your baby early in pregnancy and can be used to screen for preterm preeclampsia if this is offered.
If you decide to use a blood test for genetic screening such as NIPT, it’s also very important to check for physical abnormalities of your baby by having this ultrasound.
18–20 weeks morphology scan
This is an important ultrasound used to rule out major physical abnormalities in your baby and check the location of the placenta.
It is also important to check the length of your cervix at this scan as a short cervix predicts preterm birth. Most parents know this scan as 'the one where we may find out the baby’s sex'.
Where to go for your ultrasounds
You’ll need a referral from a health professional.
You can have your ultrasounds done at a radiology clinic. In some cases, you may be referred to a hospital. Use service finder on the Health Direct website to find your nearest a radiology service.
There may be a charge for your ultrasound depending on where you have it. Some will bulk bill through Medicare. Please talk to a health professional if you can’t pay out of pocket expenses for an ultrasound.
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Common discomforts in pregnancy
Your body is undergoing many changes during pregnancy and you may experience some health issues along the way.
Many of these issues are a normal part of pregnancy. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor or midwife.
Common discomforts during pregnancy may include:
- morning sickness and severe vomiting
- cramps in your legs and feet
- urinary frequency (needing to pass urine often)
- urinary stress incontinence (leaking urine)
- heartburn and indigestion
- blocked nose
- varicose veins (swollen veins) in your legs
- varicose veins in the genital area
- constipation and haemorrhoids
- backache
- vaginal thrush
- infections (influenza, chickenpox, shingles, slapped face, whooping cough).
More information:
- Pregnancy health problems: what’s common, what’s not
- Common health problems in pregnancy
Sickness and vomiting in pregnancy
You can read these helpful tips for managing morning sickness and find out more information on severe vomiting during pregnancy.
Next section: Looking after yourself and your baby
Your care during pregnancy, 23 Mar 2023, [https://www.qldgovau.staging-services.qld.gov.au/health/children/pregnancy/antenatal-information/your-care-during-pregnancy]
This document is uncontrolled when printed. Before using the information in this document you should verify the current content on https://www.qldgovau.staging-services.qld.gov.au/health/children/pregnancy/antenatal-information/your-care-during-pregnancy.